Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes

Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes
Official release poster
Genre	Slasher, horror
Based on	Pumpkinhead by Ed Justin
Screenplay by	Jake West Barbara Werner
Directed by	Jake West
Starring	Lance Henriksen Doug Bradley
Theme music composer	Rob Lord
Country of origin	United Kingdom United States Romania Switzerland
Original language	English
Production
Producers	Brad Krevoy Pierre Spengler Donald Kushner
Cinematography	Erik Alexander Wilson
Editor	Justin Rogers
Running time	91 minutes
Production companies	MPCA Castel Film Romania Clubdeal
Original release
Network	Sci Fi Channel
Release	2006 (2006)
Related
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud

Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes is a 2006 made-for-television supernatural slasher horror film and the third installment in the Pumpkinhead film series of horror films. The film is directed by Jake West (Evil Aliens), who co-wrote the screenplay with Barbara Werner.

Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes plotline follows more closely to the first film, with townspeople angered over the local mortician stealing and selling the organs of their loved ones and then dumping the corpses in a swamp, rather than cremating them. When the townspeople find out, they have the old witch Haggis summon Pumpkinhead through the mummified body of Ed Harley (played by Lance Henriksen, who reprises his role from the first film). Pumpkinhead then proceeds to go on his killing rampage murdering all those responsible for the desecration, while Doc Frasier (Doug Bradley) hurries to murder those who summoned Pumpkinhead, which will effectively kill the demon in the process.

Initially announced as Pumpkinhead 3, it was filmed back-to-back with another sequel titled Pumpkinhead 4 in Bucharest, Romania. The films were renamed Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes and Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud, respectively, before their release.^{[1][better source needed]}

Lance Henriksen had been asked by the producers of Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings to return, but Henriksen declined having read the script deeming it "terrible".^[2] Henriksen returned to the role of Ed Harley after talking with Ashes to Ashes director Jake West and Blood Feud director Michael Hurst responding positively to their ideas and excited to play Ed Harley as a ghost.^[2] In contrast to prior films most of the effects work was done with CGI rather than practical effects.^[2]

Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes premiered on SCI FI on October 28, 2006, followed by a home video release on March 27, 2007.^[3][4]

Ian Jane of DVD Talk rated it 2/5 stars and criticized its "cheap, shoddy filmmaking".^[5] Dread Central rated it 2/5 stars and wrote: "Despite the cast and crew's obvious devotion to the original, Ashes to Ashes hits every pitfall in the low-budget realm".^[6] Virginia Heffernan of The New York Times called it unmemorable and "rote slasher stuff".^[7] In an interview with YouTuber Comic Book Girl 19, Lance Henriksen expressed his disappointment with the film.^[8]

• Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes at IMDb